SLOW COOKERS - Are they any good?

[siobhana]

I am currently on maternity leave with 4mo ds and am losing inspiration for what to cook every night. Also everything seems to suddenly need doing within the same hour - dh arrives home from work, ds needs bathed/fed/put to bed or gets very grumpy, bottles etc need washed and by this time I am devoid of all meal ideas! I do however have more time on my hands of a morning, and could probably prepare something then. Is it really any different to putting something in the oven at a low temperature for a long time? Would appreciate any recommendations from those of you in the know!

My cousin swears by hers. She puts a chicken in before she goes to work and by hometime it's falling of the bone.
She says it was a god sent especially when the kids were small.

i bought one last weekend (there is a chrome finish one half price at argos- under a tenner!!) and we've used it loads so far- soups, stews, last night dh did lasagne in it, tonight we are having pot-roast- buy a cheap one and see how you get on!

I love my slow cooker. I make soups, stews, pot roasts. It is so lovely to go out during the day and not worry that you have to rush home to put the dinner on. I usually prepare everything when DS is napping.

I use mine for rice pudding and lamb stew and that is about it at the moment. Like you I find the evenign a huge stress, so I am going to watch this one intentely.

where do you all get your recipes from? Do you just do normal recipes and put them in the slow cooker instead of the oven? I always seem to do a load of cooking and then almost just keep it warm in the slow cooker...bolognaise for example, I cook it all off in a pan and then pop it in the slow cooker...is that the same for everything?

I bought one a few weeks ago and i think its great.

DH works overseas so it is mainly me and dd for tea. I do beef/chicken/sausages casseroles, curries etc. The meat is really tender. I also found that it is a great leftover user. If i do sunday lunch for example I will chop all the remaining veg bung in a handful of lentils and some stock. Whatever leftover meat and do a lovely soup for Mondays tea.

I did think that it would have been a godsend whist weaning as evrything is so tender.

PS mine was only £7.00 from ASDA

oooh rice pud- that'll be tomorrow sorted then, takeaway then rice pud mmmmmmmmm.........

Slight hijack - can anyone recommend agood slow cooker recipe book?

I have one & would definitely recommend it but we don't eat much meat so need inspiration to.

Yes. Very handy for exactly the reasons you've listed. I would think (though someone may correct me) that it is more energy efficient than leaving your cooker on for hours at a time and will ensure that your food is maintained at a temperature high enough to stop the bugs breeding. Personally, I'd feel much happier leaving the house with the slow cooker on than leaving it with the oven on.

Many of the dishes that can be made in the slow cooker are also suitable for freezing - so you can double up the quantities and have the second half in a week or two.

i think the bbc website has a fair few slow cooker recipes- just google- hundreds'll come up!!

Wow - look at the response rate for this thread. So many devotees. Shall we form a cult?

My friend has just told me she might do a mulled wine in hers for her new year party.

a slow cooker cult -my DH may well disown me.

but yes, it is a wonderful thing & should use it more.

Ah - Great idea. (the wine)

Had a 'hot-stone' massage once - and a slow cooker was used to heat the stones.

Any other unorthodox uses?

Yes they're fab! I'm doing chicken chasseur in mine at the weekend. It is also one of our Christmas Eve traditions to have a slow cooker Beuf Bourgignon waiting for us when we get home from the childrens' church service. DH uses another smaller slow cooker to do the mulled wine in. Another favourite is half shoulder of lamb in a red wine sauce. It's just brilliant because not only does it cook even the cheaper cuts of meat beautifully, but it means you are not tied to a certain time to sit down and have it.
Especially good if we're off out for the day, bung the stuff in before we go, and return home to a gorgeous dinner. Can't sing their praises highly enough.

yesterday morning i did beef in red wine, dead cheap, quick to prepare and very tasty.

the house also smelt wonderful when we all walked in, all homely and welcoming!!

Wow - I never expected so many quick responses! I only nipped off to feed ds! Will check out the Asda one, sounds like a bargain. Thank you all very much - see y'all on the 'slow cooker cult' thread!

Is there a difference between the cheaper and higher priced models?

I have a slow cooker but haven't used it for a while. I have to cook twice a night and I got fed up with it. This was a way to stop having to do that. Now the weather is getting colder I hope to start using it again. It will probably take me until next summer to get the time to plan the meals though.

Not sure if there is a difference between the high/low price models. However I have ended up ordering a Morphy Richards for £19.99 (3.5 litre) as it seemed to get rave reviews on amazon. So I am now drooling in anticipation of all the lovely sumptious meals to come..!

Does anyone know how to cook porridge overnight in their slow cooker. I've looked and looked, and tried and tried. Any recipe I've found on the internet - usually American - has been a total disaster, foul watery gruel. I have 3 books and not a porridge recipe between them, and an old book that says that recipes are ALWAYS included with instructions so she's providing one for cooked breakfast instead!! Porridge works great on Agas and I'm convinced it should be fab in a slow cooker but so far am defeated.